The present invention is in the field of automatic turn signal shut-off mechanisms, sometimes referred to as xe2x80x9cself-cancellingxe2x80x9d turn signals, in particular for motorcycles and similar vehicles which are banked or tilted into turns.
Motorcycle turn signals are typically activated with manual switches. It is both draining on the battery and problematic for following motorists if the manually-activated turn signal remains on after the turn is completed. Various mechanisms have been proposed to automatically cancel the turn signal in response to the tilting of the vehicle as it is banked into a turn and/or upon its return to an upright position after a turn. However, such tilt-responsive turn signal switch control mechanisms have been subject to destabilizing factors such as vehicle vibration due to their mechanical design, or have suffered from having to rely on complicated measurements of turn xe2x80x9cdynamicsxe2x80x9d such as counter-turning, distance, and velocity whose variations before, during, and after a turn are relatively complicated to monitor and which can negatively affect proper turn signal cancellation.
The present invention is a tilt-responsive turn signal cancelling mechanism which is vibration-proof, immune to false- or counter-turning effects, and unaffected by turn dynamics such as speed, direction, turn time, and turn completion. A movable contact-closing element such as a conductive ball or mass of mercury normally rests at the center or bottom of an arcuate tilt track or channel whose ends define left and right turn signal shut-off contacts. This inertia switch is connected to a turn signal control module which triggers a time-delayed shut-off to the corresponding turn signal. Because only the ends of the track define signal-generating contacts, the rest position of the contact-closing member at the center/bottom of the track and the intermediate length of the track are passive regions of rest or movement. The provision of a continuous passive track with signal shut-off contacts at the ends of the track eliminates false shut-off signals due to vibration, minor maneuvers, and counter-turning, since minor swings in the position of the contact-closing member from its rest position have no effect on the shut-off function.
The use of a simple time delay shut-off after the beginning of a turn is registered by the inertia switch further eliminates problems associated with monitoring turn dynamics throughout the turn.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon a further reading of the specification in light of the accompanying drawings.